DURBAN - PENSIONERS living at Stranraer House, a home for the aged in Sydenham, had sleepless nights over a rent increase of R1 370, and are now elated that their nightmare is finally over.
This was after a ruling by the Community Schemes Ombud Service that put a stop to the increase, which was from R1 630 to R3 000.
The ruling, which was made earlier this month but only made known to Stranraer House residents this week, ordered that the increase by the Stranraer Charitable Trust be suspended.
Resident Veronica Leach said she was glad that their sleepless nights were over.
“I’m ecstatic today after this very very long walk to freedom. We are free at last.”
In 2019, the Daily News reported that the funds for the home were running out as the last of its trustees had died. At the time, it was reported there was going to be a rent increase to R3 000 effective from February 1, 2020.
The rent covered boarding and three meals, and whatever money pensioners had left over from their government pension was used for laundry, toiletries as well as bus fare to hospitals for those who collected medication.
For the past 50 years, the home had been living off funding from a trust established by Thompson and Sage, with the pensioners paying R1 630 rent.
Resident Molly Valerie Easthorpe, with the help of community organisations, went to the ombudsman to fight the increment, arguing that it had been incorrectly determined and was unreasonable.
Easthorpe submitted that a notification of a rental increase on October 7, 2019, that would come into effect on February 1, 2020, was without consultation or warning.
She said that the final notice was put on the walls in the house while negotiations were still ongoing, and that financial woes were stated as the reason for the increment, but access had not been given to audited financial statements.
“The trustees were deceased, and good governance principles are not adhered to with new appointments,” the documents read.
Adjudicator Asha Sewpersad ordered that the rental increase be suspended forthwith and that Easthorpe be given access to details of the new trustees, the appointment process of trustees as well as the minutes of discussions with residents on the rental increase.
“The applicant in this dispute is an 83-year-old pensioner who receives a monthly grant of R1 800. An increase in rent to R3 000 per month is completely unreasonable as the applicant would have no funds for her basic necessities and medical costs. The respondent’s actions in this case appear to be arbitrary and in clear conflict with legislation,” Sewpersad ruled.
Daily News